1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to wire clamping clips and more particularly, it relates to an improved cable clip for resiliently retaining coaxial cables of different sizes in diameter against a mounting surface such as a building and the like in order to minimize damage to the cables with nicks, dents or bends.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is generally well-known in the art, there are many types of clips for retaining wiring harnesses, electric wires, control cables and the like against a mounting surface. Typically, such clips are used to hold an insulated electrical cable against to a building structure such as a floor, wall or roof. The clip is generally installed by inserting a nail, screw or similar fastening device through a hole in the clip and then into the mounting surface. Further, it is known that the cables used are generally of different sizes in diameter which require different-sized clips.
The retainer clips used heretofore have been either unable to resiliently secure the cables or, where some securement was achieved, to perform this function without damaging the cables when the retainer clip was frictionally attached to the cable. As is well known, nicks, dents or bends in cables used for high speed data transmission will cause distortion to occur. In addition, none of the prior art retainer clips were ideally suitable for securing cables of varying sizes in diameter. As a result, the installers would be required to carry a number of different-sized clips in order to accommodate the varying range of cable diameters. Further, from a manufacturing standpoint of view there was a need to produce a number of different-sized clips in order to match the different cable sizes, thereby increasing the production and labor costs.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved cable clip for retaining cables against a mounting surface so as to minimize distortion from occurring due to nicks, dents or bends therein. Further, it would be desirable to have a cable clip which is of a unique construction so as to be capable of accommodating cables of different sizes in diameter, thereby reducing manufacturing and inventory problems.
A prior art search directed to the subject matter of this application in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed Canadian Patent No. 836,387; German Patent Nos. 1,077,284 and 2,435,995; and the following U.S. Letters Patent:
______________________________________ 2,570,957 4,582,288 2,681,196 4,588,152 3,430,903 4,903,920 3,951,367 5,040,752 4,127,250 5,192,040 3,016,220 4,936,530 3,430,905 4,961,554 4,260,123 4,971,272 4,826,111 4,978,090 4,842,237 5,054,741 4,903,921 5,302,070 ______________________________________
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,681,196 to Otto H. Lind issued on Jun. 15, 1954, there is disclosed a holding clip stamped from a sheet metal blank and which includes a main body 3 having an arcuate recess 4 formed between the end portions 5 and 6.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,367 to Anders Hagelberg issued on Apr. 20, 1976, there is shown in FIG. 1 a fastener which includes a portion 1 having an inner pleated surface so as to make possible the adaptation to different dimensions of a cable, tube or similar element.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,288 to William E. Ruehl issued on Apr. 15, 1986, and assigned to the same assignee as in the present invention, there is disclosed a wire routing clip assembly which includes a block member 12 having a plurality of recesses 26, 28 formed in its bottom face 24 so as to permit the selection of wires of different sizes to be routed therethrough. The parallel transverse recesses 26 in FIG. 1 are particularly adapted to route a siamese type cable 38 or in the alternative a pair of single cables side by side.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,152 to William E. Ruehl et al. issued on May 13, 1986, and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, there is taught a wire clamping clip 10 comprised of a base member 12, a bushing 14 and a hardened pin 16. The base member 12 is formed as a body 18 having a wire receiving recess 24 disposed between side walls 26 and 28. In order to accommodate slight variations in the diameter sizes of a cable, a rib 25 is provided on the side wall 26 and a rib 27 is provided on the side wall 28. As can best be seen from FIG. 5, the ribs 25 and 27 are tapered inwardly from the end adjacent the working surface 20 to the top of the bullet-shaped slot 34 so as to retain the cable C therein. However, as the cables of larger diameters are inserted into the recess 24, they tend to become more distorted so as to cause possible physical damage or destruction thereto.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,920 to James A. Merritt issued on Feb. 27, 1990, there is disclosed in FIG. 2(a) a clip assembly 2a for retaining a cable against a mounting surface which includes a double tunnel-shaped cable retaining opening 50a.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,237 to Burnell J. Wollar issued on Jun. 27, 1989, there is shown a one-piece wire retainer clip which includes a pair of resiliently movable spaced-apart legs 36, 38 connected to a first tubular member 34 and defining a wire-receiving slot 33. A closure plate 62 is connected to and movable with a second tubular member 60 which is slidable on the first tubular member. Latches 78, 80 on the closure plate are releasably engagable with flanges 37, 39 formed on the resilient legs 36, 38 so as to secure wires 20 therebetween.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,741 to Joseph P. Ismert issued on Oct. 8, 1991, there is illustrated a tube hanger for selectively supporting at least two different sizes of tubes from a mounting surface. The tube hanger 1 includes a body portion 2 having a base 3. A flexible, resilient arm 13 extends outwardly from the base so as to define a cavity 14 for receipt of a tube having a first predetermined size. Supplemental fingers 21 are connected to the arms generally at a mid-point 22 thereof and extend substantially concentrically with the arms 13 so as to cradle and grip a tube having a second predetermined size of lesser diameter than the first tube.
In application Ser. No. 08/167,158 filed on Dec. 16, 1993, and entitled "Cable Clip" (Attorney Docket No. 6864), there is disclosed a cable clip for retaining coaxial cables and the like against a mounting surface which is of a construction so as to accommodate cables of different sizes. The cable clip includes a pair of spaced-apart first and second ribs 40a and 40b formed on the side wall 36 and a third rib 40c disposed at the mid-point on the opposite side wall 38. The ribs 40a-40c define cable retention means which serve to contain two different types of coaxial cables. This is accomplished by forming each of the ribs with an upper region 42 and a lower region 44. The relatively smaller coaxial cable is held essentially within the opening 34 by the lower regions 44 of the ribs 40a-40c. The larger cable is held within the opening by both the lower and upper regions 42 and 44 of the ribs 40a-40c. This application Ser. No. 08/167,158 is also assigned to the same assignee as in the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The remaining patents uncovered from the search but not specifically discussed are merely cited to show the general state of the art and are directed to clamping devices for securing elongated members.
None of the prior art uncovered in the search discloses a cable clip of a unique construction for resiliently retaining coaxial cables against a mounting surface such as that of the present invention in order to minimize damage to the cables with nicks, dents or bends. This is accomplished in the present invention by a pair of flexible fingers formed in the upper surface of the housing which flex or bend outwardly so as to resiliently and frictionally grip the sides of the cables of larger diameters minimizing deformation or distortion of the cable.